Light House
by Jennie
Summary: And me. I want you to come back for me.' He's gone and she's left picking up the pieces. Spoilers for the MF finale: Mystic Fate. NickMadison.
1. Chapter 1: Fading Away

**Title:** Light House

**Rating:** PG-13

**Characters:** Nick, Madison and the rest of the gang.

**Disclaimer:** Power Rangers and anything associated with it are not mine. I am making no money by writing this- it is for my pure amusement only.

**Summary**: "And- me. I want you to come back for me." Nick's gone, and Madison is left behind, forced to deal with the loss.

**AN:** **_SPOILERS_** for **Mystic Fate**. If you haven't seen the finale- be forewarned- it WILL be alluded to. Anyways, my first posted PR fic. I've got several that I'm working on, but once I watched **Mystic Fate**, this bunny bit and wouldn't let go. It ends up more angsty in this chapter then I'd thought, so if you can't handle angst and adult situations, you might want to skip the ending of this chapter. I hope you enjoy the fic and any comments would be greatly appreciated.

**Chapter 1: Fading Away**

For the past year, there's always a light on at night in the Rocca house. Just a small lamp, set close to the front window. Nothing too noticable, nothing too bright. Just enough light to produce a slight glow, a slight glimmer in the darkness. Just a small beacon, proclaiming that someone is home- that someone is there, waiting.

Waiting for him to come back.

When Madison first turned the light on, that first night, her father chuckles and turns it off again.

"We don't want to waste electricity, honey," he replies, sending her a pointed look. "We're all off to bed- there's no reason to leave it on."

But Madison clutches her new- Nick's old- blanket to her chest and turned it back on again. "It's just a safety measure, Dad. You know, something to turn away robbers and stuff, because they'll think someone's awake."

"That's what the security system is for, Sunny." Her father uses his old pet name for her, giving her a lazy smile as he turned the lamp off. "It's late, why don't you head up to bed? I'll finish turning the lights off."

"Security systems don't stop magic, Dad," Madison persists, reaching over and turning the light on again. "I'd feel safer this way."

She doesn't want to bring magic in to it. Her parents have actually been pretty understanding about the whole magic and ranger thing- but it's probably best if they don't dwell too much on it. But...if it will win the argument- she'll do it.

Her father's face grows hard at the remark, and she's afraid she went too far. "Madison, honey, that may be so. But if what we've gone through lately is any indication- you and your sister are more than capable witches, with extremely powerful friends at your side. I highly doubt _anyone_ would be as stupid to break in a house with you in it."

"But if they don't know it's us-" She protests.

"Then they're blind, because the mail box next to the door clearly displays our names. And I don't think there are that many blind dark wizards around. We'll be safe." He gets up from his chair, gives her a slight push. "Now off to bed with you. You've got school in the morning."

"But _Dad_..." She holds her ground. Her wand may be upstairs, but she's picked up how to do some magic wandless in the past weeks. If she has to, she'll cast a spell so that no one will _ever_ turn that light off.

There has to be something for him to come back to, after all.

"But Dad nothing." Mark Rocca steers his daughter towards the stairs. "You're going to school tomorrow morning, and that's final- you've missed a lot these last months."

"I mean the light," she cuts in. And as she says the words, she realizes their double meaning. The light- the Light. Nick. Why couldn't he have just stayed- stayed with _her_? Everything would be so much easier...

Mark just sighs. "Sunny...just forget it. If you want, I can dig the nightlight out of the closet and put it in your room. But leaving a light downstairs is just pointless. And the bad guys are gone- right? So there's no reason to be scared." He gives her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Now go to bed."

"What's going on?"

Father and daughter turn to meet Vida and Vivian Rocca. "Vivian, I'll be right up. I'm just getting Madison to bed." Mark pats her on the shoulder one more time, before letting go. "Up you go- follow your big sister, she'll protect you."

"From what?" Vida snorts.

"We're twins, Dad," Madison counters at the same time.

"From monsters, or whatever," Mark adresses Vida. "And Sunny, she still came out first."

Vivian yawns, walking over to her (younger) daughter, taking her chin in her hands. "Is there something wrong, dear?"

Suddenly Madison feels quite foolish. By magic's sake- it's just a lamp she wants to be left on at night. There's no reason it should have become such a big deal. Maybe she should just forget it.

But then she clutches Nick's blanket to her more closely, feeling the woven cloth, the delicate stiching- most likely done by hand by Udonna- and she decides that she _can't_ let go- because letting go would mean letting go of _him_.

She will never let go of him.

No matter what.

"I just want to leave the light on, Mom. Just the lamp on the table in the window. You know, it makes it look like we're home and awake and so no one will break in or anything and I'd just feel safer like that..." She plays the scared card for her mother, positive that it will work better than on her father. While Mark has always cared for his daughters, Vivian is the definite motherly figure, always doing every thing she possibly could to make sure her daughters were all right and healthy and safe.

Surely her mom can't resist leaving a light on to help her feel protected.

And Vivian does open her mouth, her eyes filled with love and caring and reassurance. "All right, dear, if-"

"That's ridiculous." Madison and her mother turn towards Vida, who's now leaning against the railling, her pink hair clashing horribly with her bright red robe with palm trees Chip, for some reason, had given her as a birthday present some years ago. Apparently, he claimed it was the favorite robe of some superhero that always reminded him of Vida.Vida had shaken her head- but had accepted the gift anyways.

"Now, Vida..." Vivian began, but Vida interrupted her.

"It's because of Nick, right? You're not scared- you're the one who stood up to Nick when he was about to give up- you're the one who convinced him to face the Master. If you can convince Nick, who's definitely the most stubborn of us all, to go up against the Master of All Evil- if you can _fight_ the Master of All Evil yourself- which you did- then there's no way in hell you're freaked because of some human breaking in. You could deal with a robber in a second, Mads." Vida gestured to the blanket she still clutched in her arms. "You're doing this for Nick. You think...I don't know- that he won't come back if you don't leave the light on? Or that he'll miss the house? Something like that?"

It's rather eerie how Vida can read her mind at times.

And rather annoying.

"Vida!" She hisses, glaring at her sister.

But it's too late, and both her parents are staring at the two of them, confusion evident on their faces. If only Vida could have kept her big mouth shut...

"Nick? Who's that?" Mark asks, crossing his arms.

"Oh, Mark, you know- the new guy our girls have been hanging out with." Vivian frowned slightly- "he's a ranger, isn't he? I thought I saw him with you at the celebrations." Her frown increased. "And isn't he older than you are? I don't mind you two being aroud Xander and Chip- we know both of their families quite well now and you're all in the same grade at school. But I don't know anything about Nick's family- and I thought you mentioned he was older, in College? I don't think it's quite appropiate..."

"_Mom_," Madison hurried to assure her, "Nick's just turned twenty, so he's just less than three years older and we're just _friends-_"

"Not for long," Vida coughed, but fell silent at her twin's glare.

"And you _have_ met his parents- his parents are the white ranger and the other red ranger- the Wolf Warrior. And yes, he's been in College for a couple of years now, but since he's come to Briarwood he's been so busy that he hasn't had the time to take a lot of his classes and Vida and I are starting our last year of school soon anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"That makes me feel much better." Both girls turned to look at their father- and then Maddison felt her spirits fall as he continued, "Not. I agree with your mother, Sunny. Being friends with a twenty year-old boy?"

"You didn't seem to mind before you knew we were rangers," she counters. "And I'd think that now you know how capapble I am of protecting myself, you'd be even more okay with it. Nick's a good friend, with honor. He wouldn't try anything- and his parents are really nice and I'm sure you'd like them if you got to know them. It's stupid the way you're acting."

"Madison..:" Her father warns her, but she doesn't care.

"He's one of my best friends, Mom, Dad. And he'll always be there for me, if I need it. He left today to visit his adoptive parents, and I don't know when he'll back and even though he _promised_ that he would come back, I don't know when...and I just wanted to give him something to come back to, something to show that no matter how long he's gone, he'll always be welcome." The words flow out of her, unbidden. She clutches the blanket to her chest, pleading in her eyes, tears beginning to trail down her cheeks.

They _have_ to understand, they just have to. She can't let him go again...

"Very well." Vivian reaches over and flipps the light on. "Very well, Madison." She walks towards her daughter, embracing her in a hug. "It'll be okay, darling, everything will be okay. We'll let you wait for him."

The entire Rocca family then heads up to bed, and Madison falls asleep with thoughts of Nick's return dancing in her head.

* * *

The light still burns nightly, and Madison has never forgotten. It's been a year since that fateful day, the day when everything was revealed, including what lie in the heart.

He still hasn't returned.

The rangers still meet up and Chip, Xander and Vida will always be her closest friends. They still visit Rootcore when they can, chatting with Clare (who has greatly improved, though there are still a few things she needs to work on- like landings), practicing with Daggeron, explaining courage to Itassis and playing with both Fireheart and Jenji. Udonna and Llienbow are always looking on, though they rarely join in the training- Nick's last fight against his father is too fresh in their minds.

Nick is the only one missing.

She asks them whenever possible- even calling them up on her wand/cell, asking if they've heard anything from Nick recently. And sometimes they have, though it's never much. He's well, she knows. He's getting his degree, working hard, training when he can, tuning his magic, keeping ready.

But they haven't seen him since he left them.

And it hurts.

Burns, really.

She still carries his blanket with her, a constant companion, a constant reminder.

He _will_ be back, she knows. He _promised_- and Nick always keeps his promises.

Just when...

It's a sunny day, people frolicking in the streets. A holiday, because of the year before's events. Forest creatures roam the streets. Witches perform parlor tricks, and teach those wishing of their craft. Some take on apprentices. Fairies light up the sky with their dust, sprinkling the world with cheer. Goblins and trolls keep a certain distance from each other, but interact with the humans. There's races in the forest, and hide-and-seek and other games for children. Weaponry for those who have skill- or want to learn the skill of the sword. Story-tellers entertain both realms with various fairy tales and legends, as well as the two great battles of the Light against the Dark.

It's peaceful, everyone living in harmony.

She doesn't fit in.

While Xander and Chip and even Vida have continued their ranger ways, and everyone remembers them as the rangers, she has faded into the background. She hides behind her camera even more now, rarely wearing her signature blue, afraid that someone will remember and single her out.

She just wants to be left alone.

She just wants _him_.

She films the town square, watching as a little boy and a little girl with the tell-tale ears of an elf play together, battling with sticks from the forest. A woman of the forest has brewed cool drinks and sells them while next to her a man sells hot dogs. She spies Vida and Xander, arguing in front of a tree, while the tree battles with a great wind that only exists around them. It's obvious that Xander has, once again, annoyed her sister and now he's paying for it.

Rolling her eyes, she continues on. She spies Clare, but does not go up to her, preferring to watch her accept a flower from a boy in secret. If Clare is here, she muses, then Udonna and Llienbow are at Rootcore, for they would never leave it completely unattended. She ponders visiting them, getting away from the celebrations that do nothing but make her uncomfortable. Yes, the world is better off and Briarwood has prospered with it's new ties to the forest. But it _hurts_, to be reminded of it all- to be reminded of _him_.

But going to visit them- well, they're his _parents_. Being around them is almost worse, because she knows that he _does_ contact them, see them when he can- exactly the opposite of the way he treats her.

She's jealous. She's jealous of the fact that _they_ have him and she doesn't and to get any info at all, she has to go through them. And she can just _tell_ that they're not telling her everything, that there's something they're hiding.

It burns.

"Hey, Maddie!" Chip bounds on over to her, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Having fun?"

"Just filming," she says, sending him a hesitant smile. Because, no, this is not fun, watching everyone else celebrate when her heart feels like ice.

"You miss him," Chip says, his eyes trained on her. "Don't deny it, Maddie, we all know. But- you can't keep hiding, letting the world pass on by. You need to get out there, have some fun!" Chip, like Vida, always had an uncanny ability to read her. Probably because they had grown up together, and Xander had always been more focused on Vida than the timid Maddie, which meant that Chip and Maddie were often thrown together when Xander and Vida were having another spat, or were actually, for once, being nice to one another.

"I _am_ having fun," she replies, patting the camera. "I enjoy filming."

"Yeah, sure. But you're not having _fun_, Madison, and it's obvious. You're a ranger, too- you ought to be joining in."

"With what- picking on Xander?" She snaps back, but Chip just grins.

"No, you better leave that out. But- this is for _us_- doesn't it seem weird if one of the guests of honor is just hanging about in the shadows?"

"They don't consider me a ranger anymore, Chip," she breathes out. "Ask anyone- you guys are the three that people remember. You and Nick, that is- and Nick's gone. They just figure that the blue ranger left with him or something. Not even my _parents_ really consider me a ranger, anymore."

"But _we_ do," Chip argues, a hand on her shoulder. "You'll always be part of the team. You'll always be welcome at Rootcore, you'll always be a part of the Mystic Force. Who cares what the rest of the people think?" And seeing how Chip had been ridiculed for most of his high school life, due to his love of 'childish' superheroes and comics and running around with pillow cases attached to his back- he would know.

It still didn't help much, though.

The fact was, she has barely used her magic in the last year- she doesn't even carry her wand around anymore. She has (purposefully) distanced herself from the world she considered home for a year, in a misguided attempt to deal with her loss.

Stupid, yes. But it...well, it hasn't really had dulled the pain any, but it makes her resolve stronger, at least. She isn't going to deal with magic until Nick comes back. It would hurt too much, otherwise...

Too many memories of them learning spells, battles, hanging out in Rootcore- it's overwhelming.

She won't- _can't_ deal with it.

Not alone.

Not without him.

It's simpler that way.

"Look, Maddie, come with me. You don't have to morph or anything. Just _stand_ with us. Acknowledge your power- your _destiny_. Like it or not, you _are_ the Blue Mystic Ranger." Chip, for all his joking and immaturity at times, really does have a serious side- and she is getting it at full blast. Before Nick came, Chip and Xander were her brothers- not in blood, but in heart. Then they all became rangers and she _wanted_ to put Nick into that roll- it sure would have been easier.

But she couldn't.

And then she realized that what started out as a crush, and brotherly feelings- were _not_ as simple as they seemed.

Nick brought out the best- and worst- in her.

Nick taught her to leave her shell, to stop hiding.

Nick taught her to stand up to others.

She _needed_ him.

No, more than that. She _loved_ him.

_Loves_ him.

And it's terrifying, to love someone so much, and not know if they feel the same. It's even worse to love someone and face losing them. It's down right _horrible_ to confess your love and then lose him.

_He'll be back. He promised_.

Promised, promised, promised.

Nick doesn't break promises.

But then where _is_ he?

This entire day is a joke- without Nick, there wouldn't be a team, there wouldn't be a _world_. Celebrating while he's away, it's pointless. Sure, they were a team. _Are_ a team, her mind corrects, but even a team needs a leader. And Nick was their leader- and so much more. The Light burning in the Darkness, making the world safe.

And she _refuses_ to enjoy herself while he's still gone.

"No, Chip." She twists away from him. "I appreciate you not closing me out, you wanting me to be part of the team. But- I just can't deal with it. I'd just be the odd one out- no one would care about me. They'd all think that I'm just some imposter, some damn _stand-in_, some damn _fan-girl_. I'm not going to reduce myself to that, Chip. I'm not going to honor the rangers when not all are even here. Nick- he deserves it more than the rest of it combined and you know it- but where _is_ he? No one cares, Chip- no one except me, and so if I have to mourn all by myself, then I will. You go, have fun, be a ranger again. Go ahead and morph and put on a show. But I'm not going to be there."

There are tears in her eyes, tears that slowly begin to fall as she finishes. This- this _pain_- it's too much. Her mother has been telling her for weeks to go out and 'have some fun', to stop staying in her room studying, stop working whenever she can, so that she rarely has a free moment to just sit and _think_- to remember, to brood- because that's all she saw it as. How many times had Vivian come into her room, picked her up from work, taken her out, just to get her mind off of...things?

The magic conversations had been frequent at first, Vivian wishing to understand what her daughters had went through that last year, what potential they had, what their future might hold. And then she had quickly transitioned into wanting to know everything about her daughter's MIA almost-boyfriend, who she still wasn't comfortable with the idea of. It had taken a lot of convincing from pretty much _everyone _to finally get her to except that Nick, while several years older than her daughter, was an upstanding young man, courageous, loyal, honorable- and that he definitely cared for Madison and would in no way intentionally cause her harm. He just seemed to be...well, missing, because he had another family, who- while not of blood- was of heart and had _raised_ him to be the man he was, and he owed them explanations.

After a few months, though, Vivian had gotten off of the Nick topic, and now magic- or he- was rarely discussed. Vida is the one who does all the magic in the Rocca house now, not necessarily flaunting it, but making its presence known. Madison sometimes wonders if her parents even realize she can still do magic, so much time has passed by since she last did _anything_ in front of them.

Now she's completely out of practice and doesn't even know if she could handle a simple Banishing spell. Her wand is stuck in her jewellry box, and while the light stays on every night in the living room, she heard her parents wondering the other night why they had left the light on so long- and if they just shouldn't turn it off.

Turning it off would be giving up.

And Madison Christine Rocca does _not_ give up.

He _will_ come back, and then everything will be okay.

She just needs to wait.

"Madison..." Chip sighs, but keeps his distance. "Okay. Just- don't be too hard on yourself. He _will_ be back, you know. Just don't forget to live in the meantime."

"I won't," she whispers, and watches him stride away, his cape fluttering in the wind.

* * *

The festivities have grown at the onset of darkness. Tents filled with tables for food, areas set aside for dancing, Toby contributing rock music on speakers, while Vida DJs and a quintet of forest dwellers plays jigs. She has it all on tape- Phineas teaching Leelee some goblin dance, while Toby and Necrolai- Neci- dance to Vida's beat. Xander's hanging out with some girls while Chip and Clare keep on falling over their own feet. Even her parents have joined in a dance, a slow waltz to some kind of flute and string instrument two fairies play.

She's the only one not joining in.

She keeps to the shadows, zooming in on her friends. Necrolai looks ridiculous dancing to rock and roll, while Vida has finally given into temptation and has stopped DJing, stomping over to Xander to give him a piece of her mind. "And there's Vida on the warpath- I surely wouldn't want to be Xander right now. You know, for two supposed friends, their behavior is much more-"

"Excuse me?" She turns to a guy standing next to her, breaking her out of her video-making reverie. He's tall, with blonde hair and green eyes and dressed in jeans and a nice shirt and he looks kind of nice, if she was actually _looking_ for a date- which she isn't. Plus he pales in comparison when compared to Nick.

"Yes?" She sets down the camera. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actually," he says, flashing her a grin, "there is. I noticed that you're missing a partner and I'd love to dance with you-"

"No thanks," she replies, moving to leave. "I'm not interested."

"Hey- wait a second." He reaches out, grasps her shoulder. "I asked you for a dance- the least you could do is accept it."

"And I said no," she replies, writhing out of his grasp- or at least attempting to. His fingers dig into her shoulder, causing a burst of pain. "Let me _go-_"

"You're such a bitch, you know that? A whore who dresses up as a lady and leads guys on and then stamps on them when they show any interest- well, I'm not falling for it." He grabs at her with his other arm, pulling her closer to him. There's no one near to them, she purposefully picked out the secluded spot to film in, and since the music is so loud, no one would hear her scream.

"I _don't-_" She protests once again, before he's shoving his lips on hers.

She freezes.

This is her first kiss- and yet instead of having it with Nick, something she's dreamed about for almost two years now- it's with a stranger who's _forcing_ himself on her.

Nick. Magic. Her wand- they're all gone. Damn it, _why_ did she leave her wand at home? She hasn't practiced magic in so long there's no way she's going to pull off anything without it. And the way his legs have captured hers- she doesn't have a limb free.

She can't fight him off.

No no no no no no.

This- it can't be happening. She's a Mystic Ranger, for magic's sake. She's gone up against the Master himself and survived- and now some _human_ is taking advantage of her.

"Boys, over here!" He calls out as he removes his mouth from hers, and she bites back the bile that rises in her throat. There has to be _something_ she can do- but as three more men step out from the shadows, she knows she's in _deep_ trouble. One guy she might be able to handle in her current, terribly out of practice, state.

But _four_?

_Nick_... Her mind calls for him, reaching out for him. It's pointless, she knows. If he hasn't come in the last year, he's not going to come now. She's alone, abandoned. And the thing is- she doesn't blame him. She just blames herself for getting into this mess- for having her guard down. It's her own fault, whatever happens to her.

"Nice catch, Marty." One of the guys comes over, runs a hand over her cheek.

She closes her eyes, turns away.

He doesn't like that, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. "You be good, you hear me? And this will all be over soon." She flinches, but keeps her eyes open. Marty- the guy who holds her- rubs up against her, and she gasps at the foreign feeling. He _can't_ be doing what she thinks he is, can he? That would just be too ironic- a ranger getting freaking _raped_ at her own commemorative.

Not that she's really considered herself a ranger lately.

It's her own stupidity that got her into this in the first place.

"Leave me _alone_!" She shouts, thrashing in his grasp. "Let me _go_, you f-"

She stops short. The second guy has a _knife_ to her neck.

Not good- not good at all.

She is, at this point, completely screwed.

_Nick..._

"This will go fast, if you just behave." The man keeps the knife on her neck, the metal cold against her pulse. "Get on with it Marty, and then it's my turn."

"And then we're up!" The others chime in from the back.

_Please help me..._

"Then you've got to hold her down for me, Rick. Can't do this when she's thrashing."

_Nick...Come to me..._

She's forced down onto the ground, the cement digging into her back, as her hands are ripped above her head and her legs are pinned down by the two others. "This won't take long, bitch, and then you can get on with your pathetic, f-"

And in the middle of taking his own pants off, Marty is- literally- frozen.

The other three men turn around in confusion and she raises her head, squinting in the dim light. A golden spell seal fades into the ground, and- it's _Nick_ standing there, wand pointed at the immobile Marty.

"What the f-" Rick says, before he is thrown from her body with a blast of magic.

"Get _away_ from her!" And in a second, the other two guys are tossed against a wall, and Nick's kneeling over her.

_Nick..._

She faints.


	2. Chapter 2: Pulse

**AN: **Sorry for the wait. I think I ended up rewriting the beginning of this chapter about five times, before I finally got it how I wanted it to be- and then I had to rewrite some of the middle as well. Uni has been keeping me really busy- I don't get home until 6:30/7 in the evening, usually, and am so exhausted, yet have so much to do, that I don't get around to writing much. Therefore while I didn't want to keep everyone waiting this long, it just kind of...happened. I've started another PR fic, by the way, **Shattered Mirror**, centering around SPD as an AU that involves the appearance of a character long-thought dead and Sky's issues with him. I just want to assure you that I am not abandoning this fic or anything and that I plan to keep up with both of them- so no worries. grins I also want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing- over twenty-five reviews for one chapter is _amazing_. I'm so thrilled and thankful and I really hope that you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 2:** Pulse

_"Madison_".

He sighs her name; a hand caresses her cheek. It's been so long since he last saw her, yet she looks the same- though more pale, more delicate.

This isn't the way he thought their reunion would go.

This isn't the way he thought _any_ meeting of theirs would turn out like.

He leans over her, drawing her close, cradling her in his lap.

He was almost too late.

He almost lost her.

Too close.

_Way_ too close.

"Maddie..." He draws out her name, clutching her tightly as he rises. He's worried about her now- she's light, almost _too_ light. And he begins to wonder if his plans perhaps weren't as well laid as they could have been.

He'll never forget the scene he came across as he appeared in the alcove.

It'll give him nightmares till the end of time.

He surveys the scene. Music and lights are coming from around the corner, and casting a quick glance at the fallen men to make sure that they won't be awakening any time soon, he takes a step out.

And suddenly wants to curse the town, for their merriment while _she_ was being _attacked_.

People dancing, people laughing, people drinking and eating and talking and _celebrating_.

If this is supposed to be a commemoration, a reminder of what the rangers did last year- the townsfolk are doing a sorry job of keeping the spirit.

Not when one of the rangers herself was almost _raped_ right under their noses.

It incenses him.

He admits that he has purposefully kept his distance, for reasons that can and _will_ be explained as soon as Madison is awake again. He admits that he shouldn't have left her like that, that he should have at least kept _some_ contact, other than the random visits to his parents at Rootcore. He shouldn't have abandoned Maddie- he knows that. Especially now, when he sees what state she's in.

Pale.

Too light.

Her clothing completely devoid of blue.

No wand.

The way she froze at the attack instead of attacking back.

The way she ignored her magic completely.

But...he _needed_ that distance.

And no matter how horrible he now feels- it _was_ necessary.

Necessary or not, he knows that he has a _lot_ to answer for.

And answer he will- as soon as Briarwood answers _him_.

"_Enough!"_

He roars and instantly every light source in the square goes completely dark.

Silence.

The town is too shocked to do anything else but freeze in place. He takes a step forwards, bathed in the blazing aura of his powers. He's the only light in the darkness, and heads turn to stare at the new arrival. Whispers break out, worrying if he's going to attack, if there's another evil out there, after the Rangers defeated the Master, and those who believe that this is just an elaborate hoax put on by the town to give amusement.

How wrong they are.

How very wrong they are.

"How _dare_ you celebrate, when not even a hundred yards away, a woman is getting _attacked_ by strangers?" His voice echoes in the night and everyone falls silent. "How _dare_ you claim to honor the rangers, when one of them is being _forced_ upon- and no one notices?"

Silence.

"How _dare_ you claim to be honorable citizens, worthy of magic, when you don't even _care_ that one of your own is missing, her fate unknown?"

Flames flicker in his eyes as his grip on Madison tightens. He nears the people now and they back away in...fear?

He doesn't care.

He _should_ care- he knows what it is like to face someone you fear.

But he doesn't.

At the moment, he is simply _disgusted_.

"_Nick_?"

He whirls around in a cloud of fire. His powers have grown this last year, as has his knowledge. Unfortunately, the more powerful he becomes, the harder it becomes to control it- and his emotions.

His emotions always were a catalyst for his powers, and they always will be closely linked together. It's taking all of his control to refrain from simply turning the town into an inferno, so _angry_ is he.

But standing face-to-face with Chip, he forces his anger down. He can't let it get the best of him. He's fought against his family before, under the control of the Master. He's not going to attack a teammate himself, in the presence of his own mind.

Still doesn't mean he's not mad.

"Chip." He keeps his voice cool.

"What's going on," the ranger asks, his wand ready. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened," he hisses. "Madison is so desperate for help that she calls me _through her mind_ and when I arrive, I find four guys holding her to the ground, ready to rape her. She's pale, lost a lot of weight, doesn't have any blue on, doesn't have her morpher and I can just _sense_ that there's something up with her magic as well. She's in _terrible_ shape- and no one notices! No one cares!" His voice rises as he rants on. "I admit that leaving was a mistake, but I _had_ to leave and I _had_ to stay away this long. But I _never_ expected that I would come back to _this!"_

Silence.

Vida has come up as well, Xander hot on her tail. He can see Clare off in the crowd, fighting her way towards him as Leelee and Phineas stand several feet away, watching the scene. Necrolai's got a look on her face, which doesn't quite fit the former Queen of the Vampires, and Toby's just...flabbergasted.

"_Oh my God_..."

But it isn't Vida or any of his other friends who draws back in horror when they see Madison's limp form- but another woman.

"Oh my God, my baby, my _baby_..." She pushes forwards, stopping right in front of Nick, tears in her eyes. He doesn't recognize her- but obviously the others do, as they suddenly back away. "Maddie, what _happened_ to you?"

A second later, Madison- and he- are engulfed in her arms.

And suddenly, it's as if his rage went out, and all that's left is a smoldering ember...but one of hurt, not anger.

The lady lets him go as Clare finally reaches the group of rangers. "Nick, oh my goodness, it's so great to see you, though I mean it's not great that Madison's hurt, but to see you in general and oh, what _happened_?"

Clare may be a sorceress in her own right, but she apparently never has gotten past some of her...'bumbling'- said in the nicest way possible, of course. It's part of her personality, and he wouldn't want her to change it. At least _something_ has stayed the same since he left...

"She was attacked, Clare, and then she fainted. Go to Mom and Dad _now_ and tell them to get ready- I'm not going to try the normal transportation spell when I don't know her condition, so the one I'm using will take longer and they need to have everything set up before I arrive." He orders, slipping back into his role as team-leader. It registers on the edge of his mind that he missed being in charge- in his (adopted) family, he was the younger child and even now, as an adult, it hasn't changed too much. Sandra will always be older than he is and she will always (nicely) lord it over him.

Then again, he gets to lord over her the fact that _he_ can practice magic and she can't.

So rather a fair trade, in a way.

Not that it matters now.

Not that _anything_ else matters now, except Madison.

With a snap of her fingers, Clare is gone. He turns to Chip next, gesturing his head at the crowd. "Deal with them."

"Uh...okay..." But Chip does as he's told, striding into the middle of what used to be a dance floor, but has now been deserted to watch the 'action'.

He's always hated the way people in the human realm tend to cluster around misfortune, watching it as if it were a damn movie.

"Vida- where the hell is her wand?" He snaps at Madison's only sister, glaring. "Why doesn't she have it with her? And why is she completely void of blue? She used to constantly wear it!"

"Things have changed, Nick." Vida keeps her voice cool, but Nick knows her well enough to realize that she's biting back exploding. "Things have changed a _hell_ of a lot, Nick, since you've left and you have _no freaking right_ to barge in here and order us all around!" The woman gasps at Vida's language, but he ignores it.

"Right or not, Vida, she _called_ me, and I came and got there just in time to save her from getting _raped_! And you're wasting whatever little time we have to argue with me about who's 'in charge' or not?" He tries to bite back his fury, but not succeeding. "Go to your house and find her wand and bring it with you to Rootcore. Xander, go with her. We need to hurry- I can feel her magic and therefore her life force fading every second we _stand here!_"

They freeze. "What do you mean 'you feel her life force and magic fade'?" Xander finally speaks, a hand on Vida's shoulder. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Nick bites back a scathing answer, deciding that keeping his temper in check would be the best, "that she's _dying_, Xander. I don't know _why_, but I can just _feel_ that it's true."

"She's...she's _dying_?"

The woman finally speaks, reaching a hand out and tenderly stroking Madison's forehead. "She just turned eighteen, just graduated High School- she can't be _dying,_" she exclaims. "Who are you to tell me my daughter is _dying_ and how can you 'feel' it?"

Daughter?

So _this_ is Madison's mother?

He can't tell much about her. He doesn't know much about her either, Madison and Vida never really talked too much about their parents. He always got the impression that their parents were pretty ordinary- normal jobs, normal life. He never really gave them that much thought, either.

Perhaps he should have.

"You're her _mother_?"

"Yes, she is. Can we hurry up now?" Vida breaks in, grabbing her mother's wrist. "Mom, we have to hurry, I'll explain everything to you later, but I believe Nick. Sure, I'm pissed at Nick, but I believe him- as long as he gives us one _hell_ of an explanation later."

He shrugs his shoulders in agreement, wishing that they would hurry up. "Whatever- now _go_, Vida. She-"

He stops.

Listens.

Not to the outside, but to the inside, to his magic. To the steady, yet slow rhythm that is her heart and magic. He's been sustaining her with his own, though he knows it won't last too long. After all, they're not bonded in any way- and their magics are such opposites that he has to be careful to not force too much of his magic onto her, for too much could extinguish it completely, in its weakened state. Throughout the whole...'discussion'...he's been monitoring the cadence.

Except now...

It's gone.

It's _gone_.

"Nick? Nick? What's going on? Tell me, damn it, _what's going on_?" Vida's shaking him, but he ignores her, bracing himself instead.

"There's no time, I have to get to Rootcore now- I think my mother can do something about her. I hope. Because, damn it all, her _magic and heart just stopped beating_." He stresses the words, glaring at the figures still clustered around him, hoping beyond anything that they finally clue in to what he's saying and get _moving_.

No luck- they're staring at him as if some dark magic monster just appeared behind him and he doesn't know it.

"Don't you _get_ it?" He tries again. "For all intent and purposes, she's _dead_. If I don't get her to my parents _now_, she's going to die."


	3. Chapter 3: Interwoven

**AN:** It's been forever since I updated this, I know. I ended up with some writer's block, forgot about the fic for awhile, got sick a few times, ended up with a lot to do in Uni, plus some personal issues that came up and stuff. Basically, my life is...complicated, to say the least, and I have a horrible time focusing on just one fic. Which is why I currently have about five in progress fics I need to work on as well as bunnies for about fifty more and why my updates are usually sporadic. Just please be patient, know that I'm not abandoning this and if it takes me a couple months to update, feel free to poke/PM/email/IM me and remind me that I need to work on this. Because unless I have writer's block and am completely stuck, usually that will get me typing. Anyways, I've gone on enough. I explained some magical theory in this chapter, so if you have problems understanding it, please mention it and I will do my best to explain it to you. Have fun reading and comments are much appreciated.

**Chapter 3: Interwoven**

He's never been so scared.

Even when monsters were attacking practically daily- he never was _this_ scared. Sure, he'd be worried and sometimes downright terrified with the thought that if _he_ failed- as the Light, as the Red Mystic Ranger- he'd be at fault for the world lying in ruins. But he always had _her_ to keep him grounded, to keep from running away or giving up or _failing_.

Now he doesn't have her.

This time _she's_ the one he has to save.

He can't deal with it.

He tries- oh, he tries. But spending the last year away from her, and the way his feelings have grown- it's too much. It feels like he's _already_ lost a part of her, and that if he makes just one _teensy-weensy_ mistake- he's going to lose her completely.

He can't do that.

He can't lose her.

So while his parents bustle around, and try to save the girl- woman- _he's_ in love with- he stands back and does nothing.

He flees.

He freaking _flees_.

He's such a coward...

"Bowen," his mother calls him, and hesitantly he looks up. Only she insists on calling him that. Both his father and Daggeron have long ago realized that he hasn't been Bowen in twenty years- and he probably never will be again. Yes, he _is_ the Light, and his parents' child, but the name simply doesn't _fit_ him anymore. In the ancient language of the forest, "Bowen" means "Child of Light". "Bow" is equal to "light" and "En" is stuck on names for children. His father's name, Llienbow, means "warrior of Light", "llien" being the male form of "warrior".

He's no longer a child.

His parents didn't even _know_ him as a child.

Yet his mother holds on to the childhood name, as if somehow it could bring back what she lost.

It's too late.

And she's too blind to see.

"Yes, Mom?" He tries to convince himself that it's just a term of endearment, just like his other (adopted) mother calls him "sweetie" and other rather embarrassing names. But it's hard, even more when he doesn't really have the same relationship with her, like he does with his father.

He _gets_ his dad, now. After spending time under the Master's influence, he finally _understands_ what it was like for him, all those years. At least _he_ kept his memories- but his dad did not have that option. It's _cold_ under the Master's influence. Icy abandon, which robs you of any hesitations and freedom you might have had. It's not an experience he would want to repeat- he would want _anyone_ to repeat. And he understands, finally, what it must have been like for his father all those years under the Master's control- what it must have been like to fight your own _family_ without realizing who they were.

It wasn't exactly _easy_ to start the relationship with his dad, but they made it work. And now he trusts him and confides in him and he's open to learning from him.

His mother, though...

Getting new parents takes time. He had never really given too much thought to his birth parents, and learning- suddenly, in the middle of a battle- that not only the guy who's currently got a sword to your neck is your father, but that the woman who's been mentoring you the last months is actually your _mother_ is shocking, to say the least.

She didn't make it any easier.

He's always been a quiet person, rather introverted. Moving often as a child, ending up with various relatives, also the incidents that now he knows was his magic, but at the time were quite strange and occasionally frightening- all these factored into him keeping pretty much _everything_ close to his chest, and not letting others in.

Udonna didn't- and still doesn't- get that.

At first she saw him as a Mystic Ranger, and treated him and the others as if they were her students- which they were. That didn't bother him, because he did eventually grow to see her as a mentor, someone he might be able to trust. But suddenly, without giving him _any_ time to adjust or think it over, she announces that he's her long-lost son.

And she wouldn't let it go.

On one hand, he doesn't blame her. After all, he had been missing for the better part of twenty years, and what mother wouldn't want to have her son again, after such a long parting?

_But_…

Immediately slipping into the role of his mother, immediately carrying on as if perhaps a week had passed, and not twenty _years_- these are what put him off, what threatened to push him away. He turned twenty years-old, he _had_ a mother- and he still was a bit hesitant towards the whole magical world/dimension thing. It took Daggeron about an hour to decide that in reality, nothing had really changed. But his mother...

She still doesn't get it.

His (other) mom, she gets it. Well, as much as someone who never really believed in magic until he confessed all his adventures in Briarwood can understand. But she at least understands that he's twenty-one now, an adult, in College, and needs his freedom- and _gives_ him that freedom. She doesn't expect him to be a memory of what he once was, what once could have been. She's been understanding towards the magic, and his (real) parents and Briarwood and the Forest and all in all, he's _relieved_ that she isn't trying to force him into a world- or even a situation- that he doesn't belong in.

He hates that it's beginning to ruin his relationship with Udonna- but he can't help his feelings.

It's just...

"Come inside, it's cold out there." She's suddenly behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder as he stares out into the forest. High up in the tree, perched on a wooden balcony, he has been _trying_ to control his magic- to call it back from Madison, so that she has her own chance to heal. He needs the fresh air, to give him some semblance of peace of mind, to keep him from going _insane_ inside, where he knows Madison is dying and there's nothing he can do about it.

Everyone else respects that he needs his space at the moment. Even Vida, who's still _extremely_ pissed at him, for just about everything.

But not her.

Not his 'mother'.

"I'm fine." He moves away, climbs up on the railing. Yes, it _is_ about a fifty feet drop, but he's got a wand, and he knows his broom will come if he calls. That and the fact that he doesn't really care at the moment _what_ happens.

And it definitely worries his mom.

"Come down, Nick. You'll fall."

He stays up a few seconds more, just to prove that he's not getting down because _she_ asked him to, but because _he_ felt like it. Yes, he realizes he's being childish.

He doesn't care.

Right now, the one thing that is on his mind is Madison.

She's the one thing that is _always_ is on his mind.

"Son, you need to come in here." Suddenly, his father's standing there, and he's thankful for the distraction. "Something's not right."

Or maybe he shouldn't be so thankful...

* * *

She should be getting better.

When a magical being does not use their magic, turns themselves away from magical artifacts and, well, tries to be "normal"- it works to an extent. The magical core weakens, becomes dormant and eventually, under grave circumstances, can disappear completely, leaving the victim free from their magic. The problem, however, is that the magical core isn't some separate thing inside your body; it's connected to your heart, your lungs, your brain, everything that makes you 'you'. It's why using powerful spells leave you light heated, or out of breath. Just as running miles causes you to gasp for air, so does magic, if you use too much. There's magical endurance, after all. Everyone's born with a center core of magic- what separates the magicians and the masses is training- and, of course, how _much_ magic you have. Magical levels vary from person to person, and a five year-old sorceress can beat a fifty-year-old magician, if she has more magic and therefore can last longer than he can- no matter how many spells he throws at her.

Therefore, not using magic is like not using your legs. Paraplegic patients must still do exercises for their legs, even if they do not use them anymore. The same principal is in magic- even if you do not plan on really using it, you must keep 'in shape'. If you plan on never using your magic again, it's risky, but eventually, your core will drain away. The only question is how long it will take- and what physical state you'll be in afterwards. It isn't necessarily life threatening, but it _can_ be- and it's dangerous in any case. You can't just ignore Magic.

Problem is Madison did. And then, after ignoring it for a year, she used it again. Oh, had she tried to light a candle or something, she would have been fine. Probably a bit of lightheadedness, or something- but she wouldn't have fallen unconscious. But Madison, quite foolishly, really, did _mind-magic_. Mind-Magic is one of the most powerful kinds of magic out there. Linking two minds together, especially over a great distance, and when the two minds are from two separate beings unsuspecting of the link- that's _powerful_ stuff. Even Nick would have trouble doing it consciously, without getting at least a headache. The fact that Madison did it unconsciously, as well, and that she did it strong enough to literally _pull_ him to her- it's not only amazing, but it drained her _completely._ Her magic was already dwindling from lack of use. And now she used too much of it to call him and bring him to her.

She used up her magic- and therefore she basically 'used up' her _life_. Nick, having studied this months prior, knew the effects. He acted, pushing his magic into her, to stabilize her for the moment, to give her magic some time to replenish itself. Unfortunately, while it did, sort of, keep her alive, it wasn't enough to fully sustain her.

Now she's unconscious, fading quickly, and everyone's at a loss of what to do.

Rootcore has never seemed so solemn.

"I just don't understand it, Udonna. These replenishing potions should help her, as well as all the stasis spells you have on her. So why isn't she getting any better at all?" Clare ladles out another cup full of potion and pours it down Madison's throat, holding her nose shut so that the young girl will swallow.

"I don't know, Clare." The elder sorceress stands, bowing her head. "I do not know, and this is greatly troubling. There is nothing in the Xenotome or any other books about what to do when stasis spells and replenishing potions fail. We...have no other option than to remove the spells from her and let her pass peacefully."

"Wait- so you mean that there's nothing you can _do_? My daughter's stuck _dead_? I thought you people were _poweful_- that you could _fix_ this mess! If it weren't for you, Madison would never have gotten _involved_ in any of this nonsense. And now _look_ at her- she's _dying_, if not already dead, and you're telling me that you're giving up and that I should just watch my daughter die?"

Vivian Rocca stands from cradling Madison's head. "I _refuse_ to let you let her die. There must be _something_ else that you missed, that was done wrong, or- or _something_!" Tears trail down her pale cheeks, and it is evident where Madison gets her delicate features from. He hates to see this woman so upset, but there is nothing that he can do. He put her in the stasis, and now it is up to Madison to come out if it- if able. Ironic, really, how by saving herself from getting raped, she ended up possibly killing herself.

"There's nothing," he chokes out- and suddenly all the attention is on him. "I- I put her in the stasis as soon as I found her, Mrs. Rocca. I hoped that it would be enough- that using my magic to stabilize her would keep her from any too terrible side-effects. I- I was wrong," he finishes, his gaze on the floor. "I failed- failed the woman I _promised_ never to fail- and I have to live with it. Do you not think that if there were _any_ way of saving her, I would do it? I would give my own life for hers, if I were able to, ma'am. She's a friend, a teammate, and _more_ to me- I hate this as much as you do, but-"

"Nick." Llienbow steps forwards, interrupting, "you put her into the stasis, correct?"

"Correct..." He trails off, frowning. "Why?"

"Because- we're idiots, we never thought it over. But tell me, Nick- did you withdraw your power from her?"

_What the_... He pauses, thinks. Putting someone in a stasis is like taking a blanket- made of your magic- and throwing it over them. It's not complicated, once you get the hang of it, and this wasn't by far the first time he had to do it. It can slow down blood loss, reduce pain, save someone from dying- it's wrapping someone in your magic and not letting the outside world- or their own magic, for that matter- do anything. _You_ have taken them over, in essence. Removing the stasis is simple- you break the link. You simply do not think of the stasis anymore. The magic returns to you, they regain conscious- or at least the state they were in when you put them in the stasis. It's fairly simple to do. And the first thing he did when arriving in Rootcore was take off the stasis. He didn't think about it- he just _did_ it.

And yet- Madison is still behaving like she's in his stasis.

...It makes no sense.

"Yes, I did. I didn't even have to think about it- I just did it. I laid her down, broke the connection. I- but she's still in the stasis, isn't she?"

The other three rangers and one lone non-sorceress look confused- as well as Clare. But realization slowly begins to dawn on Udonna's face. "You're right- that's why nothing is working. She- oh no, _oh no_. I think- I know what she did."

Llienbow nods at his wife. "Exactly. It's something we never thought of, but it does make sense. Tell me, Nick," he turns to his son, "you have a bond with her, correct? After all, she was able to transport you quite a ways _without_ your help, and entered your mind to do so. If that isn't a sign of an extremely powerful and deep bond, I don't know what is."

"Yes..." He trails off. It's true- it's part of why he left. With such a strong bond between them, and with Madison only a child at the time- he _needed_ to leave, less they end up doing something neither wanted. The older you get, the easier it is to train and deal with a bond. Bonds, especially non-platonic ones, are extremely powerful, and also quite volatile. He could feel the beginnings of the bond when he left- had been feeling it for awhile, actually- and while at the time, he didn't know what it meant, he knew that he had to find out. And once he did, well, it only strengthened his resolve to stay away until she was at least of legal age.

And the way that she played on that bond- it was proof that he did the right thing. Her mind reached out for his, her magic pulled him...

Suddenly he understood.

"Fire and water, right? Opposite elements, playing on each other. She's not letting go- she _can't_ let go. Her magic won't allow it. I'm not affected, because I've been using my magic, so it's just like keeping a simple spell going. But because she still has my magic in her, her own magic won't replenish and she can't heal."

"Exactly right, Bowen." He'll ignore the name thing for now... "You must fully remove your magic from hers, not just the stasis. Once you do so, the other stasis spells and the replenishing potion should begin to work on her."

"You mean she's not going to die? She will live?" It's as if Vivian doesn't even dare voice the words.

"We think so, yes." Llienbow speaks up. "She still will remain unconscious for several hours- maybe even days. She really did overdo it. But at least she will begin to heal on her own."

"_Thank_ you, oh my God, _thank _you." Vivian pulls Vida into her arms, clutching her, as both of them cry in joy. Xander and Chip share an extremely relieved look, and Clare grins again. But Nick doesn't pay too much attention- he has something to do. Kneeling next to the cot Madison is in, he reaches for her hand and clasps it, before closing his eyes, imagining their intertwined magics.

He's done this before, though not to this extent. Lending people magic doesn't usually end up like this. He once lent Sandra some of his magic, just so she could see what it was like. He taught her how to call flame into her hand and how to manipulate it into simple shapes, before taking it back from her. The process was easy- closing his eyes, searching in his mind to pull out the red threads from his core, and to pass them to her over their clutched hands and taking it back the same way. Without Sandra's own magic interfering, the procedure was simple.

But Madison doesn't _want_ to give the power back. Madison wants to keep it, and her magic refuses to let him pull it back as he did with Sandra. This...is not going to be easy, in the least.

But he'll do it, because he has to.

He'll do it, because he loves her.


End file.
